The afternoon of April 15th, under the invitation of Nankai University, Dr. Yan Xiu, associated professor from the Department of Linguistics and Translation, City University Hong Kong, and Professor Cheng Pei-kai, dean of the Chinese Civilization Center of CityＵ and holder of the Hongkong SAR Government Medal of honor gave the teachers and students in our college a lecture entitled The English translation of ‘the Analects’ and interpretation :some thoughts on the study of translation.
The Academic Salon was held professor Yan Guodong, dean of CFL of NKU.
Dr. Yan Xiu has long been engaged in the teaching of English interpretation. In this salon, Yan Xiu, first explained the special difficulty of translating poetry, and shared her experience of interpreting teaching. She thought that consecutive interpreting is not easier than the difficulty of simultaneous interpretation, and she put forward the view that where there is learning, there is character. She also encouraged foreign teachers and students to have better occupation and academic development, and be sure to reinforce the foundation of classical Chinese learning.
Professor Cheng Pei-kai, a former student of Ye Jiaying at the department of foreign languages at National Taiwan University with minor in history, has taught at New York State University, Yale University, National Taiwan University, National Tsinghua University. He has been committed to the cause of cultural exchange with prolific works. Professor Cheng Pei-kai is actively engaged in the study of the history of Chinese cultural consciousness, which involves artistic thinking, artistic creation and appreciation, criticism and cultural thinking, cultural aesthetics, etc.. In this salon, Professor Cheng in the Analects of Confucius Discourse - eight Yi Guan is small used the six English versions as an example, to give a detailed interpretation of the history of Chinese traditional culture classics translation of the twists and turns of constantly seeking. Professor Cheng pointed out that the Analects of Confucius is difficult to translate, which is not only the interpretation of events and difficulties, also due to a long history of the confusion in understanding, evaluation of historical figures in this article for more controversies. Professor Cheng’s extensive knowledge and exquisite interpretation impressed the teachers and students.
Dr Yan Xiu and Professor Cheng Pei-kai put forward that traditional culture classics translation should pay attention to the cultural interpretation of historical context, therefore we need to be trace text interpretation and pattern on the previous latitude, so that the translation will be more reasonable. Thus they particularly encourage foreign teachers and students in the school to focus on the cultivation of the academic spirit of perseverance.
Moral evaluation from Guan small aroused discussion among teachers and students. Professor Cheng gave his own unique explanation. For practical problems in intercultural communication in Chinese, Professor Cheng from the perspective of ShuoWenJieZi argued that if Wu is meant Zhige to demolish with penetrating criticism interpretation. Dr. Yan Xiu and Professor Cheng Peikai also gave a detailed and profound answer to the questions raised by the teachers and students involved in the training of interpreting, the problems of Chinese philosophy, the going out of Chinese culture and the construction of professional competence in translation. The whole academic salon can be described as a feast of Chinese and foreign cultural ideas and academic exchanges.
